Bayliss And McNulty Goals Kill Off The Robins

 

There was a protest before the game to mark the 10th Anniversary of Sisu's reign at a club which is clearly struggling to attract supporters to home games judging by the numbers in the stadium as the team's took to the field.

 

 

That City team was not surprisingly changed from the one which lost at Morecambe with Tom Bayliss given a start, along with Chris Stokes and Peter Vincenti.

 

For me, it was good to see a late friend in Carole Cumberledge get one of her dying wishes in having her grandsons lead out the team which got off to the perfect start with around 70 seconds gone,when a McNulty shot was blocked and the ball fell loose to Tom Bayliss who curled the ball into the net past Scott Flinders on his right hand side.

 

Cheltenham, in an all yellow away kit,  could have been level in the fifth minute when a Mohamed Eisa free kick struck the bar and Danny Wright just missed at the far post before Max Biamou fired just wide at the other end on a damp afternoon. 

 

Biamou then crossed for Shipley to drill an effort wide and Wright won a corner before Burge blocked from Eisa in what was a lively and entertaining opening fifteen minutes.

 

Burge again saved from Eisa. who for me was Cheltenham's biggest threat but City were able to counter and the lively McNulty fired wide on the turn in the 27th minute and blast over two minutes later following some good work from Jordan Shipley.

 

However, in the 34th minute, the  City defence stood and Mohamed Eisa was allowed to turn on the edge of the area and drill a low shot into the net on Burge's right hand side.

 

A City corner was finally cleared and in the 38th minute, Biamou went through and went down. The crowd wanted a penalty but nothing was doing.

 

City kept looking to go forward with Doyle and Shipley keen to play balls in the right direction for a City side that had Tom Bayliss booked much to the disagreement of the City bench and support in the main stand.

 

Rod McDonald had picked up a right shoulder injury and he was replaced at the break by Tom Davies as a "Love City, Hate Sisu" chant rang out.

 

McNulty fired over in the 49th minute after a good cross from Stokes and cut back from Vincenti.

 

Dawson was throwing his arms in the air after missing a glorious chance in the 54th minute which was followed a minute later by Biamou doing the same with his head.

 

In the 58th minute, the referee really should have reacted better to a two footed tackle which started a good bit of pushing and shoving before a City free kick led to a McNulty shot being pushed over.

 

Eisa then fired at Burge as did Winchester before a 68th minute City free kick sailed just past the post.

 

McNulty swung and missed before City's bench made the Duck call and Duckens Nazon came on for the last twenty minutes in place of Peter Vincenti, who again really did not offer a great deal for a player of his height.

 

In the 74th minute, the City support in a crowd which looked around the 5k mark, were on their feet when Marc McNulty was played in and kept his cool to thump a shot powerfully into the net.

 

Cheltenham had shouts for a penalty and Winchester head wide against a City team which included Devon Kelly-Evans for the last four minutes who came on for Marc McNulty, who was incredibly jeered by some of the City support unhappy at the amount of chances he had failed to put away.

 

The visitors had the ball across the goal mouth in stoppage time but City took the win.